remotion-dev/remotion · error · Error

Failed to create WebGL program

Error message

Failed to create WebGL program

What it means

pixelDissolve() links its compiled vertex and fragment shaders into a program. gl.createProgram() returns null only when the GL context is lost or the driver refuses allocation. This guard fails fast instead of calling attachShader/linkProgram on null.

Source

Thrown at packages/effects/src/pixel-dissolve.ts:224

	if (!gl.getShaderParameter(shader, gl.COMPILE_STATUS)) {
		const log = gl.getShaderInfoLog(shader);
		gl.deleteShader(shader);
		throw new Error(
			`Pixel Dissolve shader compile failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}`,
		);
	}

	return shader;
};

const linkProgram = (
	gl: WebGL2RenderingContext,
	vs: WebGLShader,
	fs: WebGLShader,
): WebGLProgram => {
	const program = gl.createProgram();
	if (!program) {
		throw new Error('Failed to create WebGL program');
	}

	gl.attachShader(program, vs);
	gl.attachShader(program, fs);
	gl.linkProgram(program);
	if (!gl.getProgramParameter(program, gl.LINK_STATUS)) {
		const log = gl.getProgramInfoLog(program);
		gl.deleteProgram(program);
		throw new Error(`Pixel Dissolve program link failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}`);
	}

	return program;
};

const createFullscreenQuad = (
	gl: WebGL2RenderingContext,
): {
	readonly vao: WebGLVertexArrayObject;

View on GitHub (pinned to 78fe4bb3fd)

Solutions

1. Maintain a live WebGL2 context (webglcontextlost/restored handling).
2. Reduce concurrent GPU effects per composition.
3. Use a stable GPU or SwiftShader backend in headless rendering.
4. Update GPU drivers.

try {
  initPixelDissolve(canvas); // links the pixelDissolve program
} catch (err) {
  if (isContextLost(canvas)) waitForRestore(canvas).then(initPixelDissolve);
  else throw err;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Reached in linkProgram() after both shaders compiled. createProgram returns null because the context was lost between compilation and program creation, during pixelDissolve setup.

Common situations: Context loss mid-setup; driver resource exhaustion on heavy compositions; GPU reset during a render batch.

Related errors

• Failed to create WebGL program
• Failed to create WebGL shader
• Failed to create WebGL texture
• Failed to create WebGL program
• Checkerboard program link failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}

AI-assisted analysis of remotion-dev/remotion@78fe4bb3fd (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/5a66b3c0b09b048d. Report an issue: GitHub.